I was laughing at a cartoon linked on their Facebook page by a relative who is a teacher. The cartoon features two scenarios: 1960 and 2010.

In 1960 frame the parents are waving a school report card at their terrified child and raging that “these grades are terrible!”. In the 2010 part of the cartoon the parents, plus child, are jointly raging at a terrified teacher “these grades are terrible!”.

It strikes me as a excellent insight into the way society has changed. As a society, we now tend to believe there must be a third party to blame for everything.



Whether it be our children’s grades at school, or anything else in life – right through to the more tragic situation of an “accident” – someone must be to blame. We want a “culprit” and we want to see them pay the maximum penalty.

It seems we just can’t accept that sometimes we have to bear responsibility for our own actions. Or, that accidents can be precisely that.... unfortunate accidents.

Living in a society with an increasing ‘blame culture’ does mean that organisations have to be ever ready to have the finger pointed at them.

They also have to have the appropriate procedures in place to deal with the PR fallout from such accustions.

Tags: crisis